Americans, government may want you to get paid not to use Google search

A research team has uncovered a key reason behind Google’s dominance in web searches: Most users haven’t seriously tried alternatives, according to a study cited by Bloomberg. The researchers found that Google’s popularity stems partly from a belief in its superiority, akin to preferring a favorite soda, even if untested options might compare favorably.
The study, conducted by academics from Stanford University, the University of Pennsylvania, and MIT, showed that Google’s grip on search habits can be loosened with incentives, such as paying users to try alternatives like Microsoft Bing. This finding is influencing a trial that began Monday to address Google’s illegal search monopoly, as ruled last year, Bloomberg reports. Google plans to appeal the decision.
In the experiment, nearly 2,500 participants were monitored for months, with some paid $10 to use Bing instead of Google for two weeks. After payments stopped, 78% reverted to Google, but 22% stuck with Bing, surprising researchers. “I realized Bing was not as bad as I thought it was,” one participant said, per Bloomberg. Assistant professor Leon Musolff from the University of Pennsylvania told Bloomberg the results suggest users’ belief in Google’s unmatched quality persists because few explore alternatives.
The study, which didn’t test other search engines, informed legal strategies in the Google case. Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser, leading states that sued Google alongside the Justice Department, cited the research in proposing a court-ordered consumer campaign to promote search alternatives, including “short-term incentive payments,” the report notes.
The government also seeks broader remedies, like forcing Google to sell Chrome.

Google argues its search engine’s dominance reflects superior innovation and user choice, not coercion. It highlighted the study’s finding that defaulting users to Bing would reduce “consumer surplus,” implying dissatisfaction, per Bloomberg. However, the researchers proposed a two-step solution: nudge users to try alternatives temporarily, then let them choose. They estimated Google would still capture 75% of searches, down from 90% in 2020 data.
Google has lost all three major U.S. monopoly lawsuits—covering search, ad tech, and its Android app store—and plans to appeal, Bloomberg reports. The researchers’ findings suggest that breaking Google’s hold may require unconventional measures, like incentives, to reshape a market shaped by monopolistic practices.